Ask Jacksons: What are the best brushes to use for painting with oils?

There is no single answer to this question. The kind of oil painting brush we would recommend is dependent on your approach to painting. Long-handled brushes are designed for easel painting as they allow you to work from further away, while short-handled provide control up close. Stiff hog bristle brushes suit thick and textural applications of paint. Soft hair brushes, like those with sable or synthetic equivalent hairs, are better suited to thin and smooth passages of paint with minimal, barely discernible brushstrokes. A great all-rounder brush would be a soft hog hair brush which offers a great balance of spring and resilience. On our website, there is a hair stiffness filter that can be applied to all the brushes we carry, to help artists select the right type.

Sometimes we may include links to online retailers, from which we might receive a commission if you make a purchase. Affiliate links do not influence editorial coverage and will only be used when covering relevant products.